A Little Dose of Fireworks
by Ayou
Summary: Rachel plans their anniversary and hopes Quinn likes it enough to give her a yes.


Disclaimer: Glee is not mine which means Rachel and Quinn is not mine either. I wish they were but one could only hope. The mistakes that you may find are all mine though :)

And also, English is not my first language. I don't have a beta also because I don't know anyone on here so I apologize in advance.

Feel free to pm me for questions or clarifications too :)

I hope you enjoy.

* * *

On a lazy Sunday afternoon, Rachel found herself lying down on the couch, staring at the ceiling, deep in thought. In about a week, it's gonna be hers and Quinn's 4th year anniversary being together and she has made it her mission to surpass each year's celebration, or her name isn't Rachel Berry—diva extraordinaire, perfectionist of the millennium, with a slight OCD—okay maybe not just slight. The reason why she is currently having a stare down with the ceiling is not because she has the need to repaint it (Quinn just painted it 2 weeks ago and yellow is a very nice color) but because she simply doesn't have any idea on what to do.

On their first anniversary, they went to Venice and surprised Quinn with a romantic gondola ride throughout the city. To say Quinn was pleased was an understatement— considering how she distinctly remembered waking up being _sore_ all over specifically down _there_ the following day. Their second anniversary was celebrated in Paris. Yes it is cliche and yes Paris is somewhat an overrated city when one wants to spend their anniversary basically surrounded with romance but let's admit it, overrated or not, Paris is a must visit city. One cannot simply talk about love stories and all that jazz without ever mentioning Paris — well maybe you can but Rachel is all about flare and the drama. Their third anniversary was celebrated in Prague. Quinn would usually say that she loves old architecture, places brimming with history and her being a professional photographer (a very good and popular one); she would love to take a picture of them. Rachel, being a dutiful and hopelessly in love girlfriend, she made that possible. If Quinn wants old buildings and ancient looking structures, then she will have them. After 3 nights of extensive research and countless interviews with people whose identities were promised to be kept confidential, she has decided on Prague. Let's just say, they went home with a love stronger and probably a few thousand new pictures taken.

On this year's anniversary, she wanted to do something a bit different. But on what it is Rachel had no idea at all. It also doesn't help that she had acquired an important item 2 weeks ago. The said item, which she had kept hidden under her white shirts in the bottom shelf of her closet, in a velvet box, would decide her future and thinking about it makes her feel nervous. The idea had occurred to her 4 months prior after seeing Quinn at their backyard, peacefully swinging in the hammock reading a book. She just woken up from her afternoon nap when she went to look for her girlfriend and found her outside. The serene look on Quinn's face while reading; oblivious to the world around her brought an epiphany to Rachel. She wanted to be with this girl for the rest of her life. She wanted to be the one to protect that serenity. And so the following day, she set out on her mission to buy her the most beautiful engagement ring she could ever find and of course her Broadway salary could afford (which would be a lot considering that she's a 2 time Tony award winner and one of the most sought after Broadway actress). It was custom made from Tiffany's.

Seeing as staring at the ceiling for hours was not going give her answers or ideas, she got up and went to the bedroom. She rummaged through her closet and got the velvet box. Maybe holding the box might give her some hint on what she could do. She also got her laptop and sat on the bed; might as well do a bit of research. She didn't know how she went from watching the trailer of "Mirror With Two Faces" to watching 2013 New Year's fireworks on Youtube. But she had to admit, watching those bright lights and the sound of the exploding barrel of flash and black powder gives her a bit of a thrill. She was in the middle of watching the champion of the Pyronale the previous year when an idea hit her. She immediately stopped the video, opened a new tab on her chrome and started on her search.

By late afternoon, Quinn got home from work. She was supposed to be home an hour ago but one of the models on her photo shoot kept giving her problems. She discarded her bag on the nearby chair before going upstairs to the bedroom. When she got there, she was amused to see her girlfriend, sprawled on the bed, snoring away with the laptop still running. She silently walked towards the sleeping brunette and gently gave her a kiss on the forehead before taking the laptop, placing it on the bedside table. She was on the process of placing a blanket on her slumbering girlfriend, when she happened to glance at the laptop screen. The browser Rachel was researching on was still open and Quinn could read Pyronale Berlin, Sept 6-7. She was a bit confused at why her girlfriend suddenly had taken interest on firework shows but knowing Rachel, her interests were more diverse than the ecosystem of the earth.

* * *

After five days of preparation, the couple was on their way to Berlin. Quinn wasn't surprised at all when Rachel told her about the trip; which Rachel didn't seem to notice because she was busy reciting her places which Quinn will like when they get there. This is one of the things she loves about Rachel. She is very considerate and understanding. She knows that Rachel always does her best to make her happy and every day, the brunette never ceases to make her fall in love even more. To be honest, she couldn't care less if Rachel asked her climb Mount Everest with her, just as long as she's with Rachel, nothing else seems to matter. Again, it didn't come as a surprise when Rachel booked a hotel near the Olympic Stadium; the hotel was beautiful of course.

They started their first day in Berlin doing sightseeing. Rachel being herself got everything planned out highly detailed. She listed the places they would visit, sites that would be perfect for photographs and even the restaurants that serve delicious native dishes. Everything Rachel knew would be perfect, except maybe for one not so minor thing. That _thing_ will depend entirely on Quinn. And the _item_ that she bought for the occasion was in her coat pocket the entire time. Well, we'll never know when's the right time will come, might as well be ready.

"We'll be having an early dinner today Quinn. Around 5 at a little restaurant near the stadium, does that sound okay to you hon?" said Rachel the following day when the couple were having their brunch.

Quinn glanced up from her plate looking at her girlfriend a bit confused. "It's fine. But why so early?"

Rachel fidgets a bit; this early dinner is gonna be the start of her mission. "Uhmm, I have something planned for us in the evening if that's okay." sounding hopeful at the end.

The blond smiled at her girlfriend. "Sure babe. But has this got something to do with the fireworks show later on?"

Rachel could feel her heart plummet to her feet. "Uhh… y..yeah"

"Okay. It would be a nice opportunity to take pictures of the show." Suddenly, Rachel felt like Quinn had a bit of an idea of what was going on.

At 5pm, the couple sat at a small but beautiful restaurant. It was very cozy and the food was really good. Quinn was having a good time but she couldn't help but notice Rachel acting a bit weird. At first she just shrugged it off, blaming jet lag or the new environment. But she noticed that the brunette was somewhat nervous the entire time they ate. It became rather obvious when Quinn offhandedly commented that she loved the ring the girl from the neighboring table was wearing. An idea went through her mind of what might be the reason but she dismissed it as fast as it occurred to her. It's not that she didn't like the idea of Rachel proposing, it was the exact opposite actually. She desperately wanted it to happen, but she also knew that the brunette is at the height of her success. She was getting offers from left to right and it still amazes her how her girlfriend was able to fit the entire trip in her schedule. It is also the reason she kept on postponing her "kneel-on-one-knee" plan but still, she had the ring in her bag, just in case.

After an hour and a half, Rachel said it was time for them to go to the stadium. The show will start at around 8:30; the entry time will start at 6:30 and she didn't want them to be late. Some of the feedback from her research said that fireworks every year are beautiful and she didn't want them to miss any of it.

Rachel got them VIP tickets and was led to the VIP area. As soon as they arrived at their designated place, Quinn immediately looked for seats where she could take good pictures since they were the ones to arrive first. Good thing the area they were given was right at the middle where the show would be facing. Rachel watched her girlfriend do her thing. She chuckled at the sight of Quinn testing each seat while looking for a good angle for her camera. She did bring her tripod with her. After a few minutes of waiting, Quinn found the right spot, which was in the middle (the first place Rachel thought of, but then again she's a Broadway star and not a photographer. Quinn's the pro when it comes to those things).

"Babe, let's take a seat before someone else arrives" Quinn called over her shoulder. She was already setting up her camera.

"You're not going to video the whole thing?"

Quinn smiled. Her girlfriend could be the best Broadway actress in the world (in her opinion, and she thinks she's right damn it), but Rachel knows next to nothing when it comes to technology especially cameras. The last time she held a camera and took pictures, almost all of them had a finger covering the lens, and a few blurred out ones but that didn't stop Rachel from trying and she loved the brunette for it. "I am. This cam could also take videos." Her smile turned into a chuckle when she saw the confused yet amazed expression of her girlfriend was sporting as she took her seat at the left beside Quinn.

"Oh. That's so advanced. I didn't know they had incorporated video capture into a camera. I always thought it was the other way around"

"Honey, you are decades behind technology" she teased which was rewarded with a cute huff from the said brunette.

It was almost time for the show to start but the other occupants of the area they were in has yet to arrive. Quinn was beginning to think that they were given the wrong section but she like the idea of having the area for themselves. "Looks like the other occupants are not going to show up." She mused.

"No one's gonna be joining us babe" the brunette answered nonchalantly as she read the program given to them.

Quinn was confused. "How did you know that?"

"I booked the whole area for us" she answered distractedly as she was still reading the program, not noticing her girlfriend's astonishment. Before Quinn could express herself, the speakers announced the start of the show.

The first team up was from Greece, at least that's what the program said. Three teams are going to showcase their fireworks that evening, Greece being the first one up followed by Spain and then the Philippines. The first minute of the show had no music, just a display of violet and yellow colored fireworks. Quinn stood up once in a while to adjust her camera. Then after a minute, the music starts. Rachel felt like apologizing to the Greeks and Spaniards as she was not paying attention to their show. It's not like the fireworks are not good, far from it actually. She could hear Quinn's "ohhs" and "ahhs" as the show went on but she was too distracted and nervous. She was thinking of a way how to propose to her girlfriend amidst the noise around them. Quinn would ask her if she had seen a particular display once in a while and she would just nod her head as she looked at girlfriend's face.

She still doesn't have any idea on how to pop _the_ question when Quinn shrieked in excitement. "Look honey! The fireworks are dancing!" Rachel did look at where her girlfriend was pointing and indeed the damn fireworks are really dancing! It was dancing to a folk song which Rachel had no idea of but still the sight was amazing. "Baby which country is this?" she asked.

"It's from the Philippine team honey, I thought you were reading the program?"

"I kind of forgot.. because.. umm.. the fireworks were so great and I can't help but forget everything else?" Rachel lied. She hoped Quinn would buy it. Quinn studied Rachel for a while before focusing her attention back to the show. "It is" she later replied. The brunette sighed in relief. But little did she know, Quinn was far from convinced. She totally knew Rachel was distracted the entire time, obviously something was bugging her and the dancing fireworks gave Quinn the reason to snap Rachel out of it. But that part of the show was truly fascinating though.

Then the music went from a slightly upbeat tempo to a rather slow one. Rachel didn't know what song it was but it surely sounded romantic. She thought that singer's voice sounded like an angel and the accompanying fireworks made the whole scene more beautiful. Her left hand went to her coat pocket and felt for the velvet box as her right hand seeks for Quinn's left and held it. The blond smiled at the contact and squeezed the hand back. Rachel felt like laughing at the irony of the situation. On her right hand, she was holding onto her present, while on her left hand she was grasping on her future and she had a gut feeling that the lyrics of the song meant something about finding your treasured one (even though she doesn't know Filipino language.. she would ask Sunshine when they get back from the trip and hopefully also invite her to the wedding if the proposal went well).

With the entire predicament going on in Rachel mind, the music shifted to a more upbeat one (she did notice it this time). '_These Filipinos really do know how to make fireworks dance' _she mused. The music swelled as the fireworks intensity began to increase. Rachel could feel her heartbeat in her ears as dazzling lights exploded before her eyes. She turned to look at the gorgeous blond beside her. No offense to the Philippine fireworks team but at that moment, Rachel thinks that Quinn simply looked stunning and far more radiant. The way the blonds eyes lit up with every explosion of the fireworks, the way her mouth slightly opened in amazement and how the light illuminated her beautiful face, Rachel knew it was time.

With her left hand still in her pocket, she fingered the box open, took the ring and held it in her hand. At the same time, Quinn momentarily let go of her hand as the blond took her bag and searched for something in it, not once taking her eyes off the display in front of her. Rachel knew the fireworks show was nearing its end and she had to do something. She didn't know if it was panic or adrenaline rush but she quickly transferred the ring to her other hand while Quinn was busy.

Quinn on the other hand was so enchanted with the fireworks that she didn't see what Rachel was doing. She felt like atmosphere and the moment was so perfect for her to propose (thoughts of reasons why she shouldn't propose yet flew out of mind). The blonde felt for the box inside her bag blindly and once her hands touched a square box, she briefly glanced at it in confirmation before discreetly pocketing it in her coat. When she was done, she placed her bag back, her hand automatically searched for Rachel's.

Rachel felt like her heart would jump out of her chest the moment Quinn held hands. She couldn't even look at the blonde's face; she never felt more nervous in her entire life. Quinn froze as soon as her hand closed on Rachel's. Yup, she felt it; the round metal sandwiched between their clasped hands. She didn't want to assume but as she squeezed their hands tightly, willing Rachel to look at her, she got her answer. The poor girl looked like she was about to pass out.

Gathering every ounce of courage she had left, Rachel held Quinn's gaze as she gave her a rather nervous lopsided watery smile. "Quinn" she croaked.

"Rachel" Quinn breathed out.

After practicing almost every day for her 6 paragraphed proposal speech talking about why Quinn should marry Rachel, listing down the pros and cons, (well there was only one "con" versus her 50+ "pros', which Rachel thought was the truth) and declaring her endless love for the blond beauty, all of that flew out of her mind and was reduced to a 4 word 14 lettered phrase.

"Will you marry me?"

Quinn felt her eyes water as she reached into her pocket with her free hand. She took the ring out of its box and offered the said ring to Rachel. "Only if you say yes"

Rachel squealed as she took the ring and embraced the blond tightly. "YES Quinn! YES!"

"I love you so much" the blond whispered.

"I love you too"

They slid the ring in each other's finger and shared a kiss as the Philippine firework display come to an end.

"This fireworks team is so gonna win this competition"

"Oh they will honey, I'm sure they will"

And they actually did.


End file.
